Mirror rorriM
by Miss Ann Peek
Summary: Disher wakes up to discover that Sharona never left Monk and the Natalie Teeger never existed. Revised, typo free and waiting for reviews. If you read it before and couldn't get through it, please try it again.
1. Chapter 1

_a/n this story may look familiar. I took the original down and have made corrections and additions to the fic. I hope it reads a little better, and is a little less confusing. Reviews love and I'm starving for affection. _

**Mirror**

_by Ann Peek_

**Chapter 1: The Best Day**

"No!" Randy's body tensed as he had that sensation of falling that you get when you are dreaming. He was in the middle of a nightmare when MurderRuss's new hip-hop tune blared from his cell phone. That, more than the dream, jerked him from sleep. He got his bearings, half-trying to remember what the dream was about as he reached for the phone on his bedside table and looked at the time. He braced himself as he flipped the cell phone open, knowing that not a lot of good news comes at 2 a.m.

"This is Disher," he croaked sleepily into the phone, and then listened as a familiar voice from dispatch told him where he had to go to meet Captain Stottlemeyer. It was another nightmare. Two bodies were found at Richmond Park: a woman and a boy. _Great_, Randy thought, _just great_.

He quickly dressed and, as he did so, started some coffee for his travel mug. He didn't bother to shave, but he did finger comb his hair. No one really cared what you looked like at a crime scene at two a.m.

It had been quite a while since he got one of these. A call when he was very off duty. One that would ruin his day for days to come. He remembered, about two years before telling Natalie that he was almost used to the gory details of the homicides he investigated. He didn't quite tell her the whole truth. He never got used to it when it was a kid. Especially when it was a young kid. Thinking of that memory brought back the nightmare he'd been trying to remember was about and he smiled wanly to himself. In his dream Randy saved Natalie's life. He was a hero, and he'd have to be sure to let her know that.

Half an hour later, he rolled up to the crime scene. Yellow crime scene tape up. Uniformed officers, detectives, dogs, the whole nine yards, were busy trying to gather information as quickly and accurately as possible. He swallowed the last sip of coffee in his cup before he exited his vehicle, and within a few steps had his notebook out and flipped open to a blank page.

"Hey," he said to Captain Stottlemeyer, realizing that the Captain might be about as alert as he was this early in the morning. "Any new information?"

"Not a lot. So far we've got a woman and a small boy. We don't even know if they're related. The boy was stabbed. Apparently he was killed somewhere else and brought here. I'm not sure how the woman died - there are no marks on the body that we can detect. We have the M.E. on it, and we're sending out officers to ask questions door to door." Stottlemeyer reported blearily. "I had to start the morning dressing down Officer Murphy. When he called he just started talking about the case without even checking that it was me he was talking to. Now Karen's upset..."

Randy's gave him a quizzical look. "Karen?"

Captain Stottlemeyer wasn't in the mood for games. "Karen Stottlemeyer. My wife. Do you know another Karen who sleeps next to me who'd be upset to be woken up and given detailed information about two grisly murders?"

A big sleepy smile spread across Randy's face, and he said, before he could stop himself, "You're back together? Congratulations!!"

"Congratulations for what?" Came a Jersey accented voice from the past. Randy spun around, to see Sharona Fleming, walking clumsily through the grass in high heels, with her boss, the famous detective, Adrian Monk. She looked like an angel. Well, she looked like an angel in tight, acid wash, boot cut jeans, a tank top, and a little bolero jacket over that.

"Sharona!" Randy ran to greet her and hugged her tightly. "You're back! When did you get back?"

"Randy," Sharona protested, trying to shrug out of Randy's grip. "Get off of me! I haven't been anywhere...Will someone get him off me?!"

"Knock it off, son." Stottlemeyer said as he grabbed Randy by the shoulders and pulled him away from Sharona. He lead the younger man about 8 feet away from her. He did this with a gentle affection, and enough sternness that gave the message: _'cut it out, or else_.'

"I just can't believe she's back." Randy said, excitedly, as he went to try to hug her again. The Captain stepped in front of Randy, placing a hand on his chest, while Sharona tried to hide behind Monk. "Wait! Where's Natalie?"

Randy looked at Monk, who looked at Sharona who looked at Stottlemeyer, who shrugged. All of them were oblivious to what he was talking about. 'Who's Natalie?' was the zeitgeist thought of the moment.

"You know Natalie," Randy explained. "Natalie Teeger. Monk, she's been working with you for the past 3 years." He knew they were kidding him with their silence. "She was hired after Sharona left...She has a daughter named Julie who's 16 years old." There was no response except for shocked silence. "You met her when she hired you to solve a case, after she stabbed an intruder to death with a pair of scissors." Nothing. "She always called you "Mr. Monk..." he persisted.

"Mr. Monk," Adrian said aloud, trying on the name like a brown jacket. It was almost like a title to him, and he liked it. Monk turned to Sharona and said, "Sharona, would you call me..."

"No, Adrian," Sharona shot back, then she grinned slyly and said, "Have you been seeing another nurse behind my back?"

Adrian Monk didn't know how to respond, because he really didn't get the joke, but chuckled self consciously when Leland and Sharona did, so he wouldn't be left out.

Captain Stottlemeyer was concerned for Randy, but he didn't have time for this. Not here and not now, so he said, "Randy, why don't you go home and try to get some rest, and we'll talk tomorrow." It may have sounded like a suggestion to the untrained ear, but to Randy, who had attuned himself to the Captains whims (with mixed results, he'd be the second person to admit) this was not a suggestion. It's was very nearly an order.

Randy's face fell and he looked like he was about to be sick. "Yeah," He replied weakly. "Maybe I should..."

Sharona saw the change and was concerned. "How about if I drive him home, Captain? That is, if he can manage to stay on his side of the car."

"Thank you, Sharona." The Captain breathed out. "I appreciate that."

"No problem. Come on, Adrian."

"Sharona, I kinda need Monk on this one," Stottlemeyer confided in a hushed tone. "How 'bout if you take Randy home, and give me a call when you get home. I'll make sure that Monk makes it home okay."

Sharona handed Stottlemeyer the packet of wipes from her purse and headed of to her beat up Volvo with Lt. Disher in tow.

The first few minutes of the car ride was an uncomfortable silence permeated the atmosphere, as Sharona drove. When she glanced over at Randy he looked, she couldn't tell, either sick or distraught. Finally she asked, "Are you okay? Do you want me to pull over or anything?"

"I don't know," Randy sighed. "It feels as if you've been gone for years. Have I really dreamed about 3 years of my life? Three years where Monk had a new assistant? Three years without you? It seemed to be real." Then again, Sharona, now, driving him home, also seemed real. He put his head in his palms, and tried to reason out what was real and what was not, hoping he wasn't losing his mind. He was hoping he wasn't becoming like Monk.

Sharona looked straight ahead, concentrating on the road. "So, you said I've been gone. Where did I go?" She asked, trying to keep Randy talking.

Randy thought for a moment. There was just no tactful way to tell her so he just said, "You and Benji went back to New Jersey with your ex-husband"

"Really" she said, taking the information in.

"Yeah. It was pretty sudden. Out of the blue, actually. I didn't even know that you were seeing him."

Sharona considered this and was silent for a moment. Then, she began to snicker, and then to laugh out loud. "I went back to Trevor? Trevor Howe?" She was incredulous.

"The man who cheated on me more times than I can count? Who left me to raise Benji by myself while he partied like a frat-boy? The man who only sniffed around Benjy and me when he could get something from us? Who never voluntarily paid child-support in our divorced life? Do you really think I'd do that?"

Randy felt suddenly defensive. She was asking him to explain his motives when all he was doing was telling her the history of her leaving in a dream he'd had. "It didn't really make sense to me, actually." Randy said in his own defense, although he wasn't really sure why. Then he added, "Monk really fell apart." He hoped that would help. "He was really upset."

"That's good to know." Sharona stated, half-sarcastically. "I mean that you would think that he'd miss me-If I were gone."

"I missed you, too." He said quietly, not sure weather she heard him. As they drove along in silence, he watched her. He used to do that a lot, until she caught him gazing at her. Then he'd turn away, and jot something in his notebook. This time when she looked over at him she smiled. It may have been a pity smile, he wasn't sure. He'd take it. He had always been attracted to her to some degree, but he didn't appreciate until now how beautiful she was to him. She was illuminated.

"So, tell me about this, um, Natalie," Sharona prodded. "The one who always calls Adrian, "Mr. Monk".

Randy closed his eyes and tried to picture her. Was she the dream? Now he had to wonder. If she was, how much could he remember? "Let's see...She's about our age, um, thirty-something. Petite, Blond, Pretty. No nonsense attitude. She has a daughter named Julie, who's 16. She has a great smile...but that could be because her father owns Davenport toothpaste."

"You own Davenport toothpaste, Randy..."

"Her father owns the company." Randy amended.

"Oh, really?" Sharona mused. "So, Monk's new nurse is a socialite?"

"No," Randy explained. "Natalie isn't - I mean, she wasn't a nurse and she wasn't a socialite. She kinda rejected the whole "money" thing, and her family had a lot of it. I went to her brothers wedding. At least, I intended to. I got hit by a car and broke a bunch of bones. The pain medication made me loopy for days...or weeks. It was awhile."

"Sounds like fun." Sharona laughed.

"Well, also, the bride turned out to be a murderess. Monk solved the case, and I helped..." It sounded a little weak to Randy's ears. I helped. That's what a child says when he isn't making as big a mess as they could be, in the vicinity of actual work. That was probably what Randy was doing - only he was too loopy to know.

"Even in your dreams, Monk's solving murders?" Sharona seemed to be able to read his mind.

Randy blushed, and looked down at his lap, thinking that it all seemed so real. How could it have been a dream? He was out of work for weeks. He remembered when his friends visited him. Stottlemeyer made sure he had groceries, and brought Jared and Max to play video games with him. He remembered Natalie, Monk, and Julie coming to visit, to give his mom, who'd been taking care of him, a rest. Natalie helped him take care of some bills, Julie read to him from The Jungle Book, and Monk deep cleaned his whole apartment in the span of a few hours. His apartment had never been so clean. Monk even dusted the filigree work on the pagoda that sat in the front entryway in his apartment. How could that have been a dream?

Sharona noticed that Randy seemed distracted and asked, "How about Adrian?"

"What about him?" Randy asked, his full attention on Sharona again.

"How was he doing "without me""? She clarified, taking her hands off the steering wheel for a second to make quotation marks in the air with her fingers.

Randy hesitated.

"What?" Sharona asked with a frustrated edge to her voice, after noticing the pregnant pause.

"He was actually doing a lot better..."

"Without a nurse?" Sharona asked. "Are you kidding me, Randy? Are you saying that the prom queen handled Adrian better than a trained nurse?"

"She didn't really "handle" him." Randy explained. "I think that was the difference."

"Yeah Randy," Sharona breathed out, irritated by the whole Natalie-dream-thing. "You were dreamin'."

After a tense beat, they both chuckled at her comment and the air was clear again. .

When she drove up to his apartment, Randy noticed that Sharona was unbuckling her seat belt, and said, "You don't have to walk up with me. I'll be fine."

"But I promised the Captain..." Sharona protested.

"I'll be fine," he said again, a little more forcefully.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. And it'll save me time and steps if you just let me go up alone. If you walked up with me, I'd have to walk back down to make sure you got to your car all right. And then I'd have to go up two flights of stairs again. I can't help it, I'm a gentleman."

She smiled at him again. He missed her smile.

"Maybe I'll see you at the station tomorrow?"

"Count on it." He waved to her as she drove off.

The first thing Randy did when he got back to his apartment was to turn on his laptop. He was on the Internet in seconds. He googled everything he knew about Natalie Teeger. Her address, phone number, her parents, her late husband, Mitch Teeger and anything else he could think of. He used every trick he could think of and even tried to improvise a few new tricks. There were Natalie Teegers, but none of them fit the Natalie Teeger he knew. Wrong age, wrong race, and wrong area of the country. Born the wrong gender. The same types of things came up when he tried to find information on Julie Teeger. When he finally shut down his laptop he had enough time to get, maybe, an hour of sleep. That was if he fell asleep the very second he turned off his computer. With all the worries he was having about dreams, he wasn't sure he wanted to fall asleep. Instead he took a shower and got ready for work. He'd come in a couple of hours early and read the report on last nights murder.

End Chapter One.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mirror**

_By Ann Peek_

**Chapter 2**

It was nine o'clock when Monk and Sharona entered the SFPD. When they came into the office, Stottlemeyer suddenly stopped talking to Randy in what seemed like a somber tone.

"Are we interrupting something?" Sharona asked.

"No, you're fine. Hey, Monk, guess what" The Captain greeted him and went right into the new information on the case. "The woman and the boy were not related, and there are no missing persons reports yet, " he said as he handed Sharona the file.

"They're not related biologically." Monk reasoned. "He could be adopted."

"Adopted." Randy said, as he wrote the word in his notebook. "I'll check on that, sir."

The Captain seemed to ignore what the younger man said.

"We've got officers with a photo of the woman, taken at the crime scene, going back over some of the places where may know her." The Captain reported. "We've got to find out who she is in order to get a foothold on the case. Once we ID the woman, we can find out how the kid fit in."

Randy checked over the information in a case file on the Captain's desk. He recognized one of the addresses, and was about to say something when Sharona said, "So, what dragged you in?"

He wasn't sure why, but that comment made Randy suddenly felt exhausted. He rubbed his tired eyes. He was confused by the night before and was still a little unsettled. He couldn't concentrate, and he really didn't feel like playful banter at the moment.

"I think I need some coffee." Randy said, curtly as he rose from the sofa and left the office without waiting for anyone to acknowledge what he'd said.

Sharona caught the Captains eye, before she went to follow Lieutenant Disher.

The sun was bright that morning, and Sharona wore sunglasses to protect her eyes. Her outfit was light and airy, and more feminine than Randy was used to seeing her in. Her curly hair was up, and the ringlets were softer than they usually were. Her appearance complemented the beautiful spring day.

They walked in near silence to a local coffee shop that he'd been to a few times. Even though Randy didn't really feel like having company he accepted Sharona's presence, although he had the feeling she was only there to baby-sit him.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" She asked, real concern in her voice.

"I couldn't. I didn't want to. I needed to find out about Natalie Teeger." Sharona gaped at him. "Think about it, Sharona. Where did I get that name? Why can I picture her so clearly? How do I know so much about her life? It couldn't have come from nowhere. If it did, I would make Monk seem 'normal' in comparison."

Randy regretted the words he chose, but Sharona didn't object to what he said; she had pity for him instead.

Randy held the door for Sharona as she stepped into the coffee shop, and then followed her in. It was a popular spot, and during the breakfast and lunch hours it was usually packed. They took their place in line as the watched different sorts of people, business men and women, teens, runners, artists and writers, and a couple of men who were probably homeless, taking advantage of the 'free refill' policy, as they sat around in groups at the small round tables and couches that furnished the cafe. The combination of soft chatter, quiet music and the smell of the coffee filled the air and it created a pleasant environment. Randy felt like he could relax here.

Soon it was their turn to order and when they reached the counter Randy got a shock: the barista looked exactly like Natalie Teeger. Sure, she had brown hair cut in a bob, and she was wearing the coffee shop employee's uniform of a white button down shirt and black skirt with a white apron over it, but it was Natalie's face. Randy was speechless for a moment. His eyes grew wide. He couldn't think. Her name badge clearly said Sarah, but she was a dead ringer for Natalie Teeger.

"Randy, order your coffee." Sharona nudged him, and smiled at the barista almost apologetically.

"Oh, sorry. I'll have a shot in the dark, and um, a drip coffee for Captain Stottlemeyer...and does Mr. Monk drink coffee, Sharona?" Randy asked. He was sure to enunciate the words 'Mr. Monk' while trying to gauge her reaction when he said it. He thought he was being subtle, maybe a little too subtle because there was no reaction. Nothing.

"Not from a coffee shop." Sharona answered, "It has to be from his own pot, which he never uses. And I'll have a vanilla latte, if you're buying."

"So, we have one drip coffee, a shot in the dark and a vanilla latte," she repeated, seeming to think that the police detective was amusing. After paying for the drinks, Randy tried to pump her for information about her life and, as he was no Captain Stottlemeyer, this is how the subtle questioning went:

"Have you worked here long?" Randy asked.

"About 8 weeks. I just moved here." She smiled as she made friendly conversation, thinking he might be flirting with her and that she might not mind it. His next question quickly altered that thought.

"Do you use Davenport toothpaste?" Randy asked.

"No, sir." She said politely, "I use Colgate."

"Interesting." Randy muttered, thinking that he wasn't even sure Natalie had used Davenport toothpaste since the family rift, and so he asked. "So, what do you think of the name "Julie"?

The smile was beginning to fade a little as she answered. "I'd give it an 8.5. You?"

"I think it's a great name. Especially for somebody's _daughter_." Again, the subtlety must have been too much, because she had no idea what he was talking about.

By this time she was finished making the drinks. She flashed him a fake smile and said through gritted teeth as she handed over their drinks in a carrier. "Thank you, and come again." As they left the coffee shop, he overheard "Natalie" telling her co-workers. "Our tax dollars at work." and laughing.

"What was that about?" Sharona asked.

"That was her."

"That was the socialite? Randy, she works in a coffee shop and her nametag says Sarah."

"Why does she have Natalie's face?" He asked, knowing the question sounded silly.

"Maybe you've seen her in the cafe before. Sharona suggested. "You've been here before, right?"

"It was Natalie." Randy protested, "Except for the hair...and the job...and the money...and the family." Randy stopped walking in mid-stride and said. "It wasn't her. But it was her face." He began walking again, and Sharona kept pace with him, sipping her vanilla latte. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm sorry you had to see me screw this up, but I'm glad you were with me."

"No Problem." She said, shortly. "That's what friends are for."

They walked together a little longer until Randy spotted a bench. "Sit here with me." he said.

Randy felt awkward and Sharona could tell that he was struggling with something. So she sat with him and waited.

"Sharona, can I ask you question?"

"Sure."

"Sharona. Would you ever consider going to dinner or something with me?"

"Can I be honest with you, Randy?" Sharona asked.

Randy's face fell, and he braced himself for the rejection speech he knew was coming. He knew he was coming on too strong. "I guess so," he said.

"I've never considered going out with you, Randy" Sharona said, frankly. "Do you want to know why?"

Randy could hear the reasons in his mind before she said a word. _'You're not my type. You aren't good enough. You're a geek. I'd be ashamed to be seen in public with you..._' and the reasons went on and on and on. In fact, they never stopped. But these were his own reasons. They were the reasons he'd never asked her out before. What she actually said was, "Because you never asked me."

That caught Randy completely off guard. "Could you repeat that?" he asked.

"You never asked me out." She repeated. "And technically, you still haven't"

"Oh, well, Sharona," He was so shocked he almost went down on one knee, but caught himself in mid-slide and sat back on the bench. He cleared his throat and started again. "Sharona, would you go out to dinner with me?

She smiled sweetly and said. "Not tonight."

"Oh, you probably have other plans..." he began.

"No, Randy." She said softly. "It's because you need to rest. You're so tired it's affecting you. But, if you rest tonight, I'll keep tomorrow night open, and we'll go out."

A broad grin slowly crossed Randy's face as what she said sank in. She'd go out with him. As soon as they got back to the police station, he asked for the rest of the day off to get some rest, and the Captain gave it to him without any explanation. Before he left the office, the Captain pulled him aside and said, in a conspiratorial tone, "I want you to think about what we talked about this morning, and let me know tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," Lt. Disher responded automatically as a dark feeling came over him.

END Chapter 2

Please, please, please review me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Mirror **

_by Ann Peek_

**Chapter 3 **

Monk and Sharona arrived at the crime scene, which was a nice house in a middle-class neighborhood. Wally and the Beaver could have lived there, except the kitchen was smeared with blood, and a knife was missing from the wooden block it was kept in.

"The woman, Starla Brown, was mentally ill and we found drug paraphernalia in her house, so this seems to be just one big tragedy." The Captain reported. "They boy, Alex, was left here while his parents went out of the country on vacation. I have to tell them this afternoon..."

The Captain saw Monk roll his shoulder. "What?"

Meanwhile...

A half hour earlier he had been in the reception area filling out forms asking about family history, medical history, and what was bringing him to see the Dr., and now he was having his first session. Randy Disher was in a darkened office, laying back on a sofa and concentrating a corner of the ceiling. As he and Dr. Turner spoke, he heard her voice, but didn't look at her. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to look at her. In the reception area, she seemed friendly and attractive. He just wanted to get the session over with.

"Tell me about the dream," Dr. Turner said in a calm tone.

"I was in a small coffee shop with my notebook and a cup of coffee. I was writing lyrics to a song I'd had on my mind. It was a quiet day - for a homicide detective.

Natalie and Julie were there. I guess they were having a day out, spending some time together while Monk was with Dr. Kroger. She started talking to me. My mind drifted from the lyrics. They weren't there anymore so I put my notebook away. Julie talked about going to see her grandparents for a few weeks. I guess she was a little pampered while she was there, and Natalie would get a kind of break, I suppose.

I glanced up and saw him standing there. I noticed that he was preening. For a cop, that's kind of a warning sign. It meant that he was preparing for something. I also saw him clenching his fists, over and over. I was on alert. He was alone, but was trying to look like he was standing with other people..."

The Dr.'s voice broke in: "How did you know he was alone?"

"The people he was standing with - a couple - kept edging away from him. Like he was in their space. I wasn't sure what was going down, but I told Natalie and Julie to go across the street and call the Captain. I unhooked the safety on my gun and watched him, but I was casual about it. He strode up to the check stand and reached into his jacket. He might've been reaching for his billfold or a gun or knife. I saw that he was pushing ahead of the few people who were still in line, that and the expression on his face told me that it was probably a weapon he was reaching for. I put my hand on my holster. I'm not sure he caught that. I stood up and walked towards him. I had tunnel vision. I put my hand out, like I was going to touch his shoulder. Everything was hyper-real. I didn't see or feel anything except the falling sensation and then I woke up."

Dr. Turner was silent for a short time, and then asked, "Do you usually have dreams about work?"

"Yes. But it's usually about paperwork. Filing. Research. But here's the weirdest part. Natalie and Julie. I guess they aren't real. I've been dreaming of 3 and a half years about people who never existed."

"Was this Natalie a big part of your life?" Dr Turner asked.

"Not really. I guess the biggest thing that she affected for me was that she took Sharona's position."

"Tell me about Sharona."

"She's Adrian Monk's nurse. We work together."

"What does she do?"

" She helps him. She makes things okay for Monk."

"And what does Sharona do for you, Randall?"

Randy eyes opened and he was speechless for a moment, not sure how to answer.

"It's okay, everything you say is confidential."

"She excited me. She did it even before I realized I was attracted to her. She used to tease me and put me down and I figured if she didn't care, in some way at least, she would pick on me."

"Have you ever told her how you feel?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"Because she might reject me. Or she might want me, which is almost worse."

"Why worse?"

"She always went for guys who treated her badly, or were after something or are just plain jerks."

"What about Natalie?"

"She started working for Monk when Sharona left. She was different than Sharona. At first, I kind of tried to make her like Sharona, but she kind of stepped out of that box. I thought she was tough and streetwise because she came from 'the wrong side of the tracks', but she was just at odds with her parents who were wealthy. I thought that she was a single parent because her husband was a jerk who left her, but I found out that her husband was actually a great guy who died in the war in Kosovo. I used to even imagine that She even dressed a little like Sharona in the beginning, but nope. That was even different."

"What about your relationship?"

"I guess she didn't pay any attention to me at all, but before I woke up she started to tease me. I'm just concerned, because it just feels odd. I Is it even possible to have a dream about 3 years of time in a night?"

"Dreams are amazing things. They can be nonsense or tell you what is going on in your subconscious. They can highlight your wishes and fears. Tell me, how are you sleeping now?"

"Better." Randy lied. After a few moments of silence, during which he felt Dr. Turners piercing green eyes on him, as if she could see right through him, he amended. "I'm dreaming about shadows. And voices. I think there might be something wrong with me."

"Tell me about it." Dr. Turner encouraged.

END CHAPTER 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Mirror **

_by Ann Peek_

**Chapter 4: **

At nine o' clock that evening, Randy had arrived on Sharona Fleming's front porch with a small bouquet of posy's and a box of chocolates. Yeah it was old fashioned, but he really didn't care. He rang the doorbell and waited.

After his counseling session, he went to his apartment and climbed into bed. It felt pretty good, after the initial shock of some of the admissions he'd made, to get it all off of his chest. He made another appointment for next week, and prayed that he wasn't going to have to go 4 times a week, like Monk.

When he initially made the appointment, on the Captain's 'suggestion', he hoped that it would only be a one-time-thing. But because they hadn't dug nearly as deeply as either one had wanted to, she suggested that there be another session.

Randy was lost in thought when the front door to Sharona's house opened, and she stood there in the doorway, with the light around her. Her curly light brown hair was piled up on her head in an attractive up-do, and she wore a pretty silver white knee length dress with spaghetti straps.

"You're right on time." She smiled, and he forgot his name, so he held out the flowers and chocolates he had brought for her, and stood before her trying to string a few words together. 'These are for you."

"Thank you," she said. "Let me put these in some water, and then we can go."

"Yes." Randy answered. "He sat on the sofa and waited a few moments. "Where are Benji and Monk?" He asked.

"They're with Gail." Sharona answered. "She told me she'd keep an eye on them, but I owe her big time, so it had better be worth it." She teased.

"I hope it is." Randy answered, as he helped her with her wrap.

The restaurant was perfect. The meal was perfect. The conversation was interesting and peppered with a little flirtation. When the dessert, a rich chocolate mousse for two and two demitasses of espresso, there was a captivating charm in the moment.

"Are you having a good time?" Randy asked, as he tasted some of the mousse.

"Of course." Sharona answered, with a big grin. "I'm having a great time. In fact, what do you feel like doing next?"

They had decided to take a walk, hand in hand, around the city, and just enjoy each others company. They looked at shop windows, and people-watched. They stopped at a jewelry store window, "My mom has a pin just like that one." Randy was saying as he pointed to an opal.

A dog, standing nearby barked, and Randy and Sharona both looked up and saw her. A young girl, about 16 years old, in tattered clothes. She had long light brown hair pulled back in an unkempt ponytail, and a big dog on a makeshift rope-leash. She looked lost, but Randy would swear on his mother's life that he knew her. It was Julie Teeger.

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Mirror

by Ann Peek

**Part 5: **

Randy was noticeably startled when he saw the young woman who looked so much like Julie Teeger standing only a few feet away. But the girl, whoever she was, had obviously fallen on hard times. He kept glancing at her and Sharona noticed. "What's wrong, Randy?" she asked, her tone showing none of the false abrasiveness that was reserved for everyone except those she trusted.

"I know her." Randy whispered.

The young woman looked over to them and then started to walk into the darkness, pulling the rottweiler along on his rope/leash.

"C'mon." Randy pulled Sharona after him as he followed the homeless girl.

"Randy, what are you doing?" Sharona protested, as she stumbled in her new high heels across the parks uneven grass, which the girl had cut across.

"I have to talk to her."

"About what?" Sharona asked. "Who is she?"

"Julie Teeger." Randy answered, not caring what Sharona had to say about that. She could think he was crazy; she could tell the Captain and have him discharged like Adrian Monk. He was going to talk to Julie.

The teen began walking faster, to get away from Randy and Sharona, but they kept up with her. Then she began to say, loudly. "Go away!" and "Leave me alone!" but no one paid attention. People yelled in the street all the time and almost everyone ignored it.

"I'm a police officer." Randy called after her, and held up his badge. "I'll stay where I am if you just stop and let me ask you a couple of questions. I promise, I won't come any closer than this."

The girl walked a few paces more before turning around. She obviously didn't trust him. She didn't trust either of them. In fact, she really didn't trust anyone. "Okay, I'm stopping. But if you come any closer, I'll sick Bubba on you. He'll tear you apart." At the moment the large dog stood in front of her, panting.

"Fine. I'll stay right here." Randy agreed, cautiously.

"You'd better," Sharona whispered, angrily. "I don't want a dirty dog paws all over my new dress."

"Is that a new dress?" Randy asked her, as he looked her over, appreciatively. "Wow."

"Excuse me, I don't have all night." The girl called out, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"I just want to know your name." Randy said, calmly.

"My name's Angel," The girl said, as took she half a cigarette from her coat pocket and put it between her lips.

"Is that your real name?" Randy asked.

"It's what people call me." She said stonily as she lit up. "I know, you think I'm somebody's runaway baby. I'm not. Tell me what you think my name is, and I'll let you know if you're right. Don't worry about me lying, mister, because I know nobody's looking for me."

"Julie." Randy said softly, his heart breaking for the girl. She didn't hear him, so he shouted, "Julie!"

"Sorry. Can't help ya."

"I'm sorry, too." Randy said.

"Have you had anything to eat?" Sharona called from her place next to Lieutenant Disher.

She didn't answer, but her face told the story. She was desperate for something to eat.

They had arranged for her to eat and still be, what Angel considered a safe distance from the pair. Randy and Sharona sat at one end of one park bench, while Angel sat at the opposite end of a second bench. They'd bought her a huge sandwich, a soda and some chips, and Angel shared part of the booty with Bubba.

"I wonder how she knew that you'd be wrong?" Sharona asked him. The girl, overhearing this, called out, "I know my mom isn't looking for me. I kinda wish she was. She's got her boyfriend and her drug friends. She's too caught up in her own stuff to care about where I am."

"Are you sure about that?" Randy asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure." A sad look passed over her face before the hard look she'd acquired on the street took its place. "Thanks for the sandwich. I gotta move on before the cops pick me up for trespassing." After neatly wrapped what was left of her meal and put it in her tattered backpack for later, she got up and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Randy called after her. He asked Sharona for a slip of paper and a pen, and jotted down a couple of numbers. He put them on the edge of the park bench he and Sharona were sitting on and backed away. "Call them if you need help. They're good places, and you'll be safe." Angel didn't move from her spot while they were standing there, so Randy took Sharona's arm and walked her away. They were several feet away, when Randy glanced over his shoulder. He could see the girl in the light of the streetlamp, picking up the sheet of paper. He closed his eyes, looked up to Heaven and said "Thank you,"

They walked quietly together, each lost in their own thoughts. "Do you think she'll call?" Sharona asked.

"They usually don't," Randy said, sadly.

They walked a little farther on, and Sharona began to giggle, and then to snicker, and then to laugh

"Is something funny?" Randy asked, thinking she might be laughing at him again.

"I was just thinking that, everything considered, this is the best date I've ever been on."

Randy considered for a moment before saying. "Me too."

"Well, let's just stay on continue on with this perfect date." She said as she moved closer to him for a kiss.

The End.


End file.
